﻿Colonial Cooking History

Colonial cooking varied by class level as to what was served, but no matter what was served food was always an important part of their culture. Dinner conversations sometimes lasted well into the late night. Only fresh food could only be served in season. Sometimes food could be saved by smoking or curing. If a family wanted a duck, they went out in the morning killed it and cooked it eating it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner before it could spoil. Cooking required using a good wood fire. People had to know how to manage the fire. Animal organs were considered to be delicacies. Fruits and vegetables were never eaten raw. Drinks were made very sweet. Punches had so much alcohol in them. Meat dishes often came to the table with head and feet still attached. Rolls were used to sop up sauces and gravies from the plate. Almost everyone knew how to cook black, white, men, women, rich or poor food was that important to the culture.

The governor’s place provided the finest in colonial cooking. Their cooks were professionally trained European cooks. They were called principal cooks and were the most paid servants. These cooks had trained apprenticeships in Europe and were the most skilled chefs in the colonies. They often have a few cooks on a time for all the specialties. The cuisine for the governor had French influences. The governor boasted the best kitchen, which had several copper pots, a spit jack, and an eight day clock.

The gentry offered the next best in colonial cooking. This class had meats and sweets with every meal cooked in a more traditional English fashion. The gentry had slave as cooks and were less formally trained, but none the less still quite skilled. These cooks were expensive and extremely precious. Some slaves became so good they earned their freedom as a result of their cooking prowess.

The middle class provided the basics in colonial cooking. Although this class tried to match the food offered by the gentry class on special occasions, the upper middle class could still make the slaves to do the cooking. The lower middle class relied on the talent of the mistress of the house.

The lower class offered the most basic in colonial cooking. These meals were just one pot meals, because the cooking equipment was limited to only one cast iron pot. The wife prepared soups and porridges. The most common was hominy, which is made from corn, added to it salt cured pork and vegetables. This was complemented with whatever meats and vegetables they could find.

Christine Gray is a recognized authority on the subject of Cooking. Her website Cooking Smarter provides a wealth of information on everything you will need to know about Cooking Tips. All rights reserved. Articles may be reprinted as long as the content and links remains intact and unchanged.